When Hollow Knight: Silksong finally launched in September 2025, it was supposed to be a victory lap for Team Cherry. The sequel had been one of the most anticipated indie games in recent memory, and its arrival set Steam ablaze with record-breaking player numbers. Yet the glow around that launch was quickly shadowed by a fierce debate over difficulty, localization, and review scores. By the end of its first week, Silksong had already accumulated more than twice the number of negative Steam user reviews than the original Hollow Knight had received in eight and a half years.

A Record-Breaking Launch With Sharp Edges 🎮

Team Cherry had spent years building anticipation for Silksong, and when the game arrived, players flooded the storefronts. The launch was spectacular enough to break almost every platform it touched, a sign of just how large the Hollow Knight audience had become. But technical strain was only one part of the story. There was the now-infamous bench, a moment that traumatized some players, and there were widespread complaints about the game's localization. Those issues, however, paled in comparison with the growing chorus of players unhappy with the game's difficulty.

The backlash did not take long to materialize. Within days, Steam user reviews turned negative at a pace rarely seen for a game with such high expectations. According to data from SteamDB, Hollow Knight: Silksong received 32,490 negative user reviews on Steam over its first six days. The original Hollow Knight, by contrast, has only received 13,690 negative reviews in eight and a half years. That means Silksong had well over double the negative reviews of its predecessor and was rapidly approaching triple the amount.

The Difficulty Debate: Punishing or Misunderstood? ⚔️

Is Silksong unfairly punishing, or are players simply resisting a different kind of challenge? That question has dominated online discussion since launch. One of the biggest sticking points is that more regular enemies can hit Hornet for two masks' worth of damage. For many players, that change makes even basic exploration feel tense and unforgiving. Long runbacks after being killed have also come under fire, as have tricky platforming sections that demand precision and patience.

The original Hollow Knight was never easy, but its difficulty curve allowed room for experimentation and recovery. Silksong, according to its critics, tightens the screws in ways that can feel exhausting rather than rewarding. Some players argue that the sequel mistakes punishment for depth. Others counter that Team Cherry has simply built a faster, more demanding game and that the frustration is part of the intended experience.

Negative Reviews by the Numbers 📉

The review data paints a striking picture. On Steam, Silksong currently sits at 76 percent positive reviews when every language is included, giving it a 'Mostly Positive' rating. The original game, meanwhile, holds a 96 percent positive rating and an 'Overwhelmingly Positive' label. For a sequel that was expected to surpass its predecessor in nearly every way, that gap has become a central talking point.

The numbers do not tell the whole story, of course. A game can be review-bombed for reasons that have little to do with its quality, and Silksong's launch problems and localization issues clearly contributed to the negative wave. Even so, the sheer volume of complaints about difficulty is difficult to ignore.

Team Cherry Responds, But Will It Be Enough? 🛠️

Team Cherry has already acknowledged the difficulty concerns. The studio nerfed two of the game's earlier bosses, a move that signaled it was listening to feedback. Players, meanwhile, have created their own mods to help combat the issues, from adjusting damage values to easing certain platforming challenges. That kind of community response is common for demanding games, but it also raises a question: should players have to mod a game to make it feel fair?

The localization complaints add another layer. Chinese players were among the most vocal critics, and their dissatisfaction helped fuel the early negative review count. Team Cherry has not yet announced a sweeping overhaul of the game's balance or localization, leaving the community to wonder whether more changes are coming.

What Comes Next for Silksong? 🔍

In 2026, the conversation around Silksong is no longer just about its launch. It is about legacy. Will the game be remembered as a bold, uncompromising sequel that asked more of its players? Or will it be remembered as a cautionary tale about difficulty, expectations, and the power of user reviews? The answer may depend on how Team Cherry chooses to support the game from here.

For now, the contrast with the original Hollow Knight remains stark. The first game earned near-universal praise over years. The sequel has already sparked more negative reviews in less than a week than its predecessor did in nearly a decade. Whether that statistic reflects a genuine misstep or simply a louder, more impatient audience is a debate that will likely continue for years to come.

That debate over legacy is also a reminder of something players often overlook in the moment: how they spend on games matters just as much as how they critique them. Whether you are waiting for post-launch patches before jumping into Silksong or looking to revisit the original Hollow Knight on a fresh platform, timing a purchase around a discount can make the difference between a full-price gamble and a much easier decision. Following price trends instead of buying on day one is one of the simplest ways to stay patient while a developer works through balance and localization fixes.

For anyone who wants to keep track of discounts across Team Cherry's catalog and the broader indie scene, DealNest gathers the best game deals in one place, so you can compare prices without bouncing between storefronts. It is a practical companion for readers who want to experience games like Silksong on their own terms, at a price that feels fair, and at a moment when the version you download is the one the developers actually intended.